Norinco 1911A1

S

Silvanus

New member
The search function didn't exactly give me the answers I was looking for...

I'm currently looking for a 1911 pistol... But there are not nearly as many brands available in Europe as you would find in the USA. I don't want an expensive custom gun. I owned a LesBear for a couple of month, which I sold later (at a profit :p), because I prefer simple, rugged and reliable handguns that I don't mind getting some scratches and wear marks on.

I was thinking about a Springfield mil-spec or similar Colt, but they are hard to find here and importing American guns is not easy right now.

So I decided to have a look at the Norinco pistols and heard they were very reliable shooters and, except for the rough finish and look, pretty well made pistols.

But there are a couple of things that I really don't like about them... First, the sights. They are too small and would be the first thing that I'd want to replace if I bought one. And the safety, it's also a little too small for my taste. There are probably a couple of other things I will change to customize the gun to my personal taste.

What I wanted to ask you folks on this forum is if these pistols are really as good as they say on the internet, and more importantly if it is easy to change out the small parts and if most aftermarket products even fit this gun? Would I need a dedicated 1911 smith for this ( which probably doesn't even exist in my country) or should most "normal" gunsmiths be able to make those minor modifications on my pistol?


Thank you for taking the time to read this rather lengthy post :) I'm sure some of you guys (and girls;) ) have an answer for my questions.



edit: also if some of you actually own a Norinco, which brand of magazines seem to work best with them?
 
G

greco

New member
Mine was an excellent gun. And I could put any after market part in it because they all fit just like in a Colt. Only the grip bushings are different than standard. Buy one if you can find it at a reasonable price.;)
 
S

Silvanus

New member
In Europe couldn't you just get a metal detector and find something some GI lost?
Click to expand...

We indeed have A LOT of WWII guns around here, but that again would be a pistol I would treasure too much to use it they way I want to ;) A new 200,00 € Norinco on the other hand...


Mine was an excellent gun. And I could put any after market part in it because they all fit just like in a Colt
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. I was just worried because everybody says the metal used in this gun is so high quality and tough that I thought it might be hard to work on this gun with normal tools. Some sights I'm interested in probably need some fitting...
 
S

SilentHitz

New member
I sold many of these before they banned the import into the US, and got zero complaints from customers. I currently own 2 and use either Wilson or Chip McCormick mags. Actually I only shoot one of them, I kept one NIB since they are no longer imported here.

They are actually one of the best copies of the GI 1911 on the market IMO, and made of good hard steel too.
 
M

Mike38

New member
Back when I shot Bullseye Pistol competitively, I was talking with a High Master level shooter about having a custom M1911 built. His primary 45 was a Colt M1911A1 and his back up was an early model Norinco 1911. At the time he bought the basic pistol for something like $200, and put a couple grand into accurizing / customizing it. According to him, it was money well spent. He said the steel was every bit as good as the Colt. It didn’t bother him one bit to use the Norinco as his primary pistol in local competition. He did go on to say that on the later model Norinco’s the quality of the steel fell of a bit, but as a shooter, they were still very good.
 
4

45Gunner

New member
Don't know much about a Norinco except they are made in China. But then again, what isn't made in China these days?

I bought a Rock Island Armory 1911 last year. It cost $400. It is tough and a good shooter. The only thing I changed on the gun were the oem grips which I thought really detracted from the gun. I put on a pair of decent grips which made the gun look a lot nicer. It is accurate and has never had a malfunction of any sort. I may add night sights to it in the future. I would highly recommend this gun to you as it fits your profile. I just don't know if they are available where you live.
 
S

SilentHitz

New member
+1 on the RIAs, I have 2 Tactical models that run great. If they're avaliable, check them out too. Either one will make a great shooter.:cool:
 
C

Citizen Carrier

New member
Many U.S. custom pistolsmiths will state on their websites that they will only work on certain brands of pistols.

Clark Custom Guns, for example, lists Colt, Springfield Armory, Para-Ordnance and...Norinco M1911s.

The steel used by Norinco is better than the steel used to make most U.S. M1911 pistols. And there are no cast or MIM parts on a Norinco. The parts are made the same way we made them in the beginning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top